Gig-saddle.



Patented July 25, |899,

C. A. WHITE.

GIG SADDLE.

(Application led Feb. 27, 1899.)

(No Model.)

A IIIIIIIIIHMHH iii in the claims.

UNITEDV STATES CORNELIUS A. wI-IITE, or MAYsvIL'LE,

PATENT OFFICE.

KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR OFA ONE-HALF TO JOHN J. KLIPP AND MICHAEL BROIVN, OF SAME PLACE.

GIG-SADDLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letter Patent NO. 629,734, dated July 25, 1899i Application filed February 27, 1899,' Serial No. 706,983. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern..-

Beit known that I, CORNELIUS A. WHITE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, @residing at Maysville, in the county of Masonand State of Kentucky, have invented new .and useful Improvements in lGig-Saddles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates particularly to animproved stiffener for a reversible and flexible gig-saddle. Y

The invention relates more especially to an improvement over a patent issued to me April 17, 1894, No. 518,435. The differences andimprovements over the aforesaid patent will be pointed out in the description to follow and The object of this invention is to provide means whereby the parts which go to make up the connecting construction of a gig-saddle can be readilyattached and detached and reversed when so desired.

A further object of this invention is to prof vide a stiffener for a gig-saddle which will, permit the saddle to be reversed without theA disconnecting of the straps and pads.

This invention has many other objects, which Will be described hereinafter and particularly pointed out in the claims. y

In the drawings forming a part of this speci-l ication, Figure 1 is a transverse section of. a saddle, showinof my improvements attachedy thereto. Fig. a section at right angles to Fig. 1. Fig. 3 x a top plan View with a part of the saddle proper removed, showing` the stiener in position and the cut-out in the strap, forming a seat for said stiffener. Fig. 4 is vthe detailed perspective view of the stiffener. Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the saddle-cap. Y

The sanne numerals refer to like `parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 indicates a saddle, and 2 the pads thereof, having secured to the apex of the same a stiffener 3, which is curved on its lower side to conform to the shape of the upper portion of the pad. The stiffener has a central groove 4, the purpose of which will be described hereinafter. On opposite ends ofthe stiffener are lugs, having their upper ends turned loutwardly therefrom, each forming a hookiiange, and provided under said ends with cut-out portions or cavities seated nuts 8. y

A strap 9 is placed over the pad and has its central portion cutout, asat 10, approximately the shape of the stiffener-plate, and

has a central connecting-piece 11, which is seated in the groove in the stiffener-plate. The strap also has secured to each side and directly opposite the flanged ends of the stiiener-plate protecting-pieces of leather, so as to not only protect the metal iianges, but to keep them from being exposed.

Over the strap 9 are placed the bearer-strap and the skirt. The bearer-strap and ,skirt are securely bolted to the pad by means of screws 12 and 13, also by means of the terrets 14, each of which is screw-threaded at its lower end and, like the other screws mentioned, fits into and screws into a nut or the equivalent seated in the pad. The threaded ends of the terrets pass through ornamental pieces 16,which have prongs 17, one passing through the bearer-strap and the other two passingon either side of said strap and-into the skirt. By this means the ornamental 7, in which are pieces are prevented from turning and scratching the leather. K

The parts thus far described are all securely locked together and go to make up the s addle proper, it being-understood that this part of the saddle is that which is continually wearing out and which has heretoforebeen of no service after one side, or that part which bears directly on the animal, has worn out, and by the construction now to be described I am enabledto reverse the saddle proper and wear it on either side when so desired.

I provide a saddle-cap 20, which is made, preferably, in general outline as shown in the accompanying drawings and is provided at its front underside with a depression 21 and 0n its upper side with avflattened portion 22, through which a hole 23 is bored. To the under rear side of the saddle-,cap is riveted a loop-plate 24, to which is secured the crupper. (Not shown.) The said loop-,plate 24 is provided with an opening 25, and immediately in front of the opening is an upwardlyn projecting transverse rib or flange 26, designed to Contact with a flange 27, formed upon the under side of the saddle-cap, the flange 27 being cut out to permitthe reduced end of the loop-section to pass between. It will be seen that when the parts are put together the flanges just described will prevent any lateral movement of the loop-section, thus making the same absolutely immovable from the saddle-cap.

The opening 25 in theloop is rst fitted over one of the flanges 6, the other flange resting in the recess 2l in the under side of the saddle-cap. The parts being in this position, a check-hook 28, having a screw-threadedl extension 29, is passed through the opening 23 in the saddle-cap and the openings 32 in the stiffener-plate, in which the nuts are seated in the cavities 7 in the underside of the stiff-l ener-plate. The check-hook can be of any form or conguration, but preferably with'a flat base portion 30, so as to coincide and operate against the fiat portion 22 on the upper side 0f the saddle-cap. By having these two surfaces come together in this manner I prevent any scratching of the parts and form a symm etric device. It will be understood that notches 3l are cut into the sides of -the skirt, so as to permit the screw-thrqaded extension 29 to pass. It will also be understood that for the sake of convenience a n ut 8 will be arranged in each of the cavities '7. By this arrangement I am enabled to reverse the parts without taking the nut from one side and placing it on the opposite side.

It will be readily understoodthat when the saddle is in use and the padding has worn out in front, to reverse the saddle, so that the unworn portion thereof shall be in front and come in contact with the shoulders of the horse, all that is necessary to be done in order to accomplish this is the releasing or the unscrewing 0f the check-hook, which will permit the saddle-cap to be removed, whereupon the saddle proper can be turned around, so as to present a new surface to the front or against the part which has heretofore caused the opposite side of the saddle to become worn. It'will also be seen that by this construction and arrangement of the parts it is absolutely impossible for the check-hook to Work itself loose from its screw-threaded locking-seat by reason of the nut being seated in the cavity, it being prevented from turning in said cavity, and from the fact that the pull on the check-hook is directly toward the front, which has a tendency, if any lost motion is at this point,to draw the nut up against the stiffener and hold itself rigid with the check-hook.

The saddle-cap has flanges on either side, shaped approximately as shown in the drawings, which bear down on the saddle and prevent the apex of the parts from settling flat down on the back of the animal. This saddie-cap can be made ornamental, to suit the fancy of the manufacturer.

I desire to especially point out the fact that by constructin g the saddle as above described it is impossible for the metal parts to work through the padding, so as to cause a sore to form on the backv of the animal, it being understood, as before stated, that the screws are all locked into nuts on the inside of the cavity in the pads.

It will be seen that I have provided an exceedingly simple arrangement of parts,where by the saddle can be reversed at will, and a 'device that is cheap to manufacture and substantial in character.

I am aware that many minor changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what l. A stiffener-plate for areversible gig-saddle, having flanges at each end, and a saddlecap provided with suitable recesses or pockets to receive said flanges whereby the saddle-cap can be reversed without disconnecting the saddle proper, substantially as described.

2. In a reversible gig-saddle a stiffenerplate, secured at the apex of the saddle, having flanges at its front and rear ends, and a saddle-cap provided with suitable recesses or pockets to receive said flanges, said saddlecap being locked thereto by means of a screw, substantially as described.

3. In a reversible gig-saddle, a stiffenerplate secured to the apex thereof, having anges at its front and rear ends, and a cavity, or cut-out portion, in the under side and under each flange, nuts seated in said cavities, a cap-plate having recesses or-pockets therein adapted to take over the flanges and a check-hook having a screw at its lower end tting into one of the nuts and locking the saddle-cap to the stiffener-plate,substantially as described.

4. In a reversible gig-saddle a stiffener'- plate secured at the apex thereof, having a central transverse groove therein, a portion of the saddle having its center cut out to fit around the stiffener, a central portion thereof seated in the groove, end flanges projecting upwardly from the aforesaid stiffener and seated within suitable recesses or pockets in the saddle, substantially as described.

5. In a reversible gig-saddle the stiffenerplate having end flanges, a saddle-cap having secured to its lower` rear side a loop-plate, which has an opening therein, a recess formed in the front under side of the saddle-cap plate, one of the flangesin the stiffener-plate fitting in the openingin the loop-plate and the other flange seated in the recess in the front under side of the saddle-cap, means for locking the same together, substantially as described.

6. Asti ffener-plate for gig-saddles compris- IOO IIO

inga Curved bodyportion having au upwardlyextending lug at each eud thereof, and. an outwardly-projecting flange at the extremity of each lug, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

7. A stiffener-plate for gig-saddles comprising a eurved bodyporton having an upwardlyextendng lug at each end thereof, and a eentral transverse groove, and an outwardly-pro- 

